Chocolate Factory and Fair Trade Exchange

The individual buildings are simple – subtlety and richness are instead provided by the overlapping of these buildings and external shelter to generate unique spaces around the perimeter of the site and encourage use of the site as a community forum.

The layout is guided by ease of construction and modularity. Designed to accommodate phased development, it uses a simple 5.8 x 2.0m timber structural grid that can expand with financial and functional needs. Pavilions of varying lengths, based on program, are linked by short spans under overhanging eaves. The plan’s stepped geometry creates diverse external and semi-external spaces for gardens, a café, and a market. A shallow curved roof, supported by beams, extends to freestanding timber shelters that provide additional cover for market and café areas, forming an agora at the main entrance.